


Being Better

by KitKat_Attackz, ProfoundCranium



Series: Being Better [1]
Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: Cage Fights, F/F, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKat_Attackz/pseuds/KitKat_Attackz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfoundCranium/pseuds/ProfoundCranium
Summary: Mileena had a new appreciation for the color gold. Not for any special reason- she could think of many reasons people would assume she’d appreciate gold. There was an infinite spectrum of colors, after all. Red for instance- red was another favorite. But no, gold was a color that Mileena loved because it was something that welcomed her every morning.
Relationships: Mileena/Tanya (Mortal Kombat)
Series: Being Better [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1832554
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	Being Better

Mileena had a new appreciation for the color gold. Not for any special reason- she could think of many reasons people would assume she’d appreciate gold. There was an infinite spectrum of colors, after all. Red for instance- red was another favorite. But no, gold was a color that Mileena loved because it was something that welcomed her every morning.

Mileena tried opening her eyes a few times, the lids feeling stuck together from sleep. She closed her eyes as she instead focused on the sensations around her. The sheets on her skin, feeling her muscles tense and stretch along with her skin. Finally, she managed to peel her vision open fully, her vision readjusting. And Mileena couldn’t help but smile at her first sight.

Before, Mileena never took the time to appreciate the smaller things, for a lot of reasons, and Outworld was always bright and scalding with sand and orange light. However, something about the variety of Earthrealm made the Sun feel like a gift. It wasn't overwhelming and painful like Outworld. Red and orange, and nothing but that. Rough, and no in between. But Earthrealm… Mileena found that she loved simply walking around in it. There was so much NEW here. Mileena could see the differences. But they were harder to pick out. Mileena couldn't look at the land and know who was poor and who was royalty at a glance.

There was no Kahn here. No royalty that commanded every living being in the realm. Instead, everyone seemed to exercise a sort of freedom. To a degree within the set laws that kept order… This variety, this freedom, it allowed Mileena to test more things, to explore, and it always came back to the sun.

To gold.

…

Right. Getting out of bed.

Mileena sighed as she sat up, the sheets sliding away from her skin as she looked down at the white blankets that pooled in her lap. The texture between her fingers… it was soft. Soft in a way that Outworld never was. Mileena was accustomed to riches and material gains. She remembered laughing and feeling superior. She felt as if she was above the world and deserving pampering, and silk sheets were one of those things that she had…. Something arbitrary. It was stupid in hindsight.

She wanted silk sheets, golden statues. Why? Because it denoted status. She grabbed these things not for some skewed sense of what she deserved… no, now she grabbed them because she just liked how silk felt. Besides, statues were a waste of space anyway. Something about the duality of it, her silk sheets versus her average home made it all feel softer. More meaningful.

Mileena slid out of bed, she felt her feet touch the carpeted floor, humming as she stood up. She felt her muscles relax as she stretched, raising her arms above her head. As Mileena studied them she observed the scars that caked her skin. Memories, tokens of pain. Most people found scars to be ugly, but Mileena found them to be nice. Even the systemic, straight lines that decorated her left arm. Horizontal lines that ran from her forearm to her shoulder. Too orderly to be a normal wound pattern. But honestly, she liked looking at them. Kitana could never have such an unseemly wound. No, this was all her own. She liked having that control over her own body.

Mileena reached over, brushing her fingers over the wounds as she counted them, stepping away from her bed and not bothering to don clothes as she stepped into the bathroom. She stepped past the door frame, flicking on the light switch. Pale white light flickered on to illuminate the tile room that held her hygienics. It was quite a change from what Mileena used to use. She used to lavish in extravagant golden bathtubs that were large enough to hold twenty people, getting served hand and foot by maidens that ensured she was clean and avoided looking at her face.

Now, Mileena cared for herself, which was a much more fulfilling task. She could look at herself in the mirror and know that she was a result of her own effort. Even so, she still stepped into the bathroom, gently hopping to the carpet in front of the sink as she eyed the shower. She figured she could shower after she handled the more important task. That being… her least favorite part of the day. Mileena sighed, turning to the left… turning to the mirror.

Ugly.

The word was on her tongue before she could even take on all the details of what she was looking at. It was far from a new image. It was just that. Her face, or more primarily, her flaw. Mileena stared and stared…. and stared, her eyes never leaving her mouth. She swallowed roughly before slowly opening her mouth. Flesh and muscles slid against one another as her patchwork of teeth and muscles opened, revealing her horrific visage to herself. Mangled teeth larger than her fingers decorated her cheeks, extending her jaw across her face so that she could open her mouth horrifically wide. Thankfully, she at least had lips. Human ones, even if they didn't matter much considering they were hardly the first thing to be seen by anyone.

Mileena hated her visage. It had plagued her for her entire life, constantly being thrown into her face as an excuse for her to simply not be here. But nonetheless… Mileena couldn't get rid of her face. Couldn't carve it away like an annoying deformity. It was a part of her, and as such, she had to take care of it just like anything else. So without much ado, Mileena snapped her jaw shut and reached for a hairbrush.

She hadn't changed her hair much from how she always wore it. Shoulder length, wild and unruly. She thought it suited her better then the regal ponytail that she had always gone for. It was a false copy to try to be more like Kitana, an idea that was bound to fail… and honestly Mileena no longer wanted to be like Kitana. She no longer had a father to please, and she had realized that Kitana was no ideal to live up to. Her kindness was a sham, her words honeyed lies designed to hurt people. Sure, Mileena herself was no saint, but Mileena also had no choice but to be the way she was. Kitana chose wholeheartedly to be the monster she was, but Mileena… she wanted to be better.

Mileena shook her head, trying to dislodge the thoughts in her head as she raised the brush to her head, gently ringing out the knots as she ran the brush through her rough locks. She watched herself carefully as she did so. Mileena no longer held herself to a royal standard. She had nobody to look perfect for after all, but she still liked putting in the effort. She personally thought some parts of her looked horrible. But… she shouldn't leave those parts to wither and become horrendous. Mileena wasn't going to let her hair become a raggedy rat's nest, and she wasn't going to let her teeth rot out either.

Minutes passed, Mileena simply fluffing up her hair, brushing and lining up everything. She had no deadline. No rushed job to look presentable for someone else. Rather, she could take her time until she thought she looked good enough. When she was done, Mileena placed the brush back as she shook her head back and forth, running her fingers through her hair before her hair settled into its natural position.

Mileena looked down at the cup next to the sink, with a single toothbrush inside. A basic blue one with an ergonomic handle. It wasn’t the best, but Mileena couldn't afford an electronic one. She would just chew through it by accident. She was rough on brushes, and would break it too easily.

She opened a drawer and grabbed a tube of toothpaste while turning on the sink. Cold water flowed out of the faucet, splattering her toothbrush before she squeezed her toothpaste tube, covering the brush in a liberal amount of gooey paste. Placing the tube on the side of the sink, rather than back in the drawer, Mileena again looks at her face as she shuts the sink off.

Figuring out a place to start was always easy and hard for Mileena. It looked like so much space to go over, and she knew she would at least snap one brush at some point. But… she started with the easiest part. She opened her mouth, and decided to start with the most human section of her mouth. Placing the brush past her lips and starting with the centermost portion of her mouth. The part that wasn't mangled flesh and muscle. She actually had molars, canines, and incisors. She placed the brush against her molars and started brushing from there. The mint taste hit her tongue as she started brushing back and forth, seeing the white froth building in her mouth as she tried to remain at least slightly neat and tidy while doing her task.

It was a failing endeavor of course. White froth slowly built up in her mouth, eventually leaking over her cheeks and out the gaps between her massive fangs. The portions of her mouth that had no lips to hold and catch the fluid. Mileena leaned forward, allowing the fluid to simply land in the sink as she continued her job. She had at least ten more minutes to go of this. So Mileena keeps brushing, running the brush over her main teeth. Peeling her lips back as she brushes the front of her incisors, then her canines and molars. She got just rough enough to ensure she did her job properly.

Mileena hated her mouth. It aggravated her just by looking at it, but at the same time she couldn't deny that cleaning it felt nice. Mentally, she found her visage repulsive. Physically, taking care of it felt just as good as other hygienics, such as showering or washing dirt off her hands. She closed her mouth, sucking in a bit before spitting into the sink was a messy thing. Mileena couldn't exactly close her mouth all the way to achieve proper suction and spit all the saliva and froth into one direction, leading to a bit of a mess. That was only the first portion of her job. Mileena saw no reason to rinse her maw quite yet.

Once she judged her main mouth to be clean, Mileena glanced at the uglier fleshy fangs that decorated her cheeks. She opens her mouth again, feeling her centermost human jaw open first. Then the gross squelching of muscles stretched as the rest of her jaw opened, revealing just how wide her mouth can open with such an extended jaw. This wasn't the widest she could open her jaw, not in the slightest. She could fit another human's head in her mouth before biting down. No, this was just wide enough to brush in and around her extra mouth parts. Her fangs specifically, which she would be flossing after this.

Sighing, Mileena decided to start with the right side. Not for any particular reason- she just happened to be holding the brush in her right hand and it felt more natural to start there. Starting at the base of her fangs, Mileena began to brush roughly. Much harder then she had to with the human portion of her mouth. The base of her fangs being exposed muscle, lacking lips to cover up the pink fleshy interior of her mouth. The base was the thickest, and therefore easiest portion to start with. Having to angle the brush around each individual fang to brush. She could feel the brush tense in her hand as she tried to reach each and every portion, ready to snap.

Five fangs on the bottom, two larger ones on the top, then another fang wedged behind those two, followed by a single tooth on the curve of her cheek. It didn't look pleasant, not in the slightest, but she had to keep it clean. So she shoved the brush further in, ignoring the layers of muscle and instead focusing on the fang on the roof of her mouth as she brushed around-

**_SNAP_ **

Mileena's head rocked back as she suddenly yanked her hand away from her mouth, gasping as she coughed, spitting the remains of her toothbrush out into the sink. She tried to inhale, only to send a mouthful of white froth and saliva straight down the wrong pipe. Mileena bent over the sink, hacking, sputtering and coughing as she cleared the fluid from her airpipe. Embarrassed and frustrated, Mileena threw the remains of the handle away before growling, yelling as she rams a fist into the sink.

This didn’t surprise Mileena. She always broke at least one brush every time she brushed her teeth. Even so, it still frustrated her. She hated failing tasks, breaking a brush just meant she wasn't being gentle enough. She could hear her Father's words in her head.

_"If you can’t complete simple tasks Mileena, then you are just as worthless as Kitana!"_

A soft whimper left Mileena’s mouth. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She smacked her lips and grimaced at the feel of the toothpaste all over her teeth…. she needed to keep going. Yes, she had failed this task, but failure didn't mean that she would be punished. Not anymore. It was just brushing her teeth; Mileena could do this. First though, she wanted to rinse her mouth and start again. She held her hands to her cheeks, trying to keep the froth from leaking everywhere as she stood up and stepped back over to the sink. She grabbed her cup from the side of the sink, filling it with water before pouring the fluid into her mouth.

She had to act fast, the water was about to pour right out of her mouth. Once she dumped the water, she quickly tilted her head back over the sink. Mileena slowly swished the water around her mouth, or at least as well as she could, before spitting it back out into the sink. Mileena glanced back up at her body and face in the mirror. She looked… fine. Not terrible. She had managed to clean most of her mouth before snapping the brush. But Mileena never left any job unfinished.

Trying was the most important part… that's what Tanya had always told her. On those nights when Mileena spent hours crying in the bathroom because she felt horrible about snapping yet another brush back in Outworld, or on those days when she refused to remove her mask, no matter what. When she hid her face from view until she had cleaned her mask and was ready to don it once again.

She just… she had to try. Keep trying. It wasn't a hopeless task, she could do it. So that's what she did. With the taste of mint on her tongue, Mileena opened another drawer where a collection of dozens of identical brushes laid, snatching one up before she closed the drawer again.

Once upon a time, Mileena would have let this event ruin her day. She would have been upset and stomped off in reckless anger. Make no mistake, Mileena was still upset, but no longer would she simply act like a petulant child and lash out when she didn't get her way. She wasn't some ghost of a shell of a person grabbing at some sort of empty throne…

Every throne was a cage, and Mileena felt better without one.

She was _allowed_ to mess up. She was _allowed_ to make mistakes. She was _allowed_ to try again and again. Which is why she felt calm when she placed more toothpaste onto the second brush, placing it onto the left side of her maw as she opened up again. She followed the same method she used for the right side, starting at the base of her fangs, and generally just brushing away. First five fangs on the bottom… then she shifted to the back… then the top. Now for the hard part.

Mileena shoved the brush further back, in between her two top fangs. Slowly… carefully. She leaned over the sink so that the white froth wouldn't get anywhere. Then starts brushing that back fang that was always hard to reach. She could hear her front fangs grinding against the handle, but ultimately ignores it. She was doing her job and doing it well.

Deciding she had brushed her teeth enough, she nodded in accomplishment before she opened her mouth wider, sticking her long tongue out before she brushed that too. The brush caused her to gag a bit as she shoved it further and further back into her mouth. A few seconds later and Mileena's gag reflex kicked in, forcing her to keel over the sink as she hacked a few times, spitting saliva and froth all over the sink.

Despite the uncomfortable feeling of the froth bubbling around her mouth, she chuckled to herself, pleased that she had finished the hard part. Mileena looked at herself in the mirror, noticing that her teeth did in fact look less stained, and would probably look even better once she rinsed again.

She quickly went about doing that exact task, rinsing her mouth clean before spitting the water out, filling the cup a few times to pour across the sink bowl, rinsing it clean of froth and saliva before she narrows her eyes at the toothbrush head that lay in the sink. She turned on the water and grabbed the brush remains to rinse them off, holding them up to her gaze.

Only one this time… better.

Mileena found that she liked doing tasks by herself. She liked succeeding and knowing she could do a good job. She liked telling _herself_ she could do a good job. She no longer relied on the praise of others and the false expectations of being Kahn.

Mileena shrugged while tossing the brush into the trash can. It was time for her to hop in the shower.

She had a day to look forward to.

)ooOoo(

Gold.

It was once again, the first thing to welcome Mileena when she stepped out of the bathroom. Her quick shower was now behind her as she toweled her skin, pleased at how clean she felt as she stepped over to her bed, sitting her naked body down as she stared at the window. She couldn't see much beyond at her angle, but she could see the sky, and the golden glow it supplied her, and she was happy with just that.

Mileena had experienced a rough couple months in Earthrealm. First was just landing in this city, and realizing what she wanted to do. She turned to a nearby table, spying that familiar green amulet. Mileena grabbed it and held it close to her chest as she laid down, watching the window.

The gem still felt warm to the touch.

She had no direction upon landing here. She simply went about the bare essentials first. She found a place to live, a job, clothes, stuff along those lines. Sure, she could have killed for it. But that felt… wrong now. Ever since Mileena had died that first time, since her time spent wandering Netherealm in a foggy daze, she had plenty of time to think. Time to go over it all, to see what went wrong.

One of the first things she realized was… why did she want to be Kahn? _Did_ she want to be Kahn? What would she benefit from it? Well, the strongest became Kahn. That's just how it was. But… that was the method her Father used, and from there she had to ask herself- Was Shao Kahn's method the best one? Apparently not, since it ended in his death. It constantly ended in overthrowing, coups, danger, civil unrest, crime in the streets.

But that was a hard pill for Mileena to swallow, admitting to herself that Shao Kahn was _wrong_. But if he was wrong in that? What else was he wrong about? It came to her at an unexpected time. She was walking the street one day and had come across two humans. An adult man, and a young girl. A child. The child was riding on the man's shoulders, giggling like a fool. Telling her 'Daddy' to go faster, to go higher, and the man… he didn't scold his daughter. Didn't treat her as a tool. He had willingly put himself _below_ his younger, weak daughter, solely for her to have fun, and that sight was shocking to Mileena. She didn’t understand it.

It led to her renting tons of books from libraries, scouring the internet asking dumb questions. Almost childlike in nature. How should parents act? What are parents expected to act like? Is it okay to hit your children? Is it okay to do away with a child if they fail in their purpose?

The answers to those questions from a human perspective varied, but there were some key points. Here? Hitting a child was a punishable offense. Children had no purpose when born beyond just… being children. The parents supplied everything, and if they couldn't do that, the children were given to someone else.

Mileena had to process this at first, and it took many days and nights of angry screaming and crying. But at one point, she was able to admit it to herself.

Shao Kahn was a terrible Father. Did he care? Maybe, on some level, but he was a terrible example. He… he never _helped_ Mileena, just expected her to do as she was asked.

This led Mileena to research about other family points, especially on how sisters were supposed to act. Mileena wasn't going to lie, she _hated_ Kitana… and she loved her. If Kitana showed up right now and asked Mileena to come rule with her in Outworld, Mileena would be hard pressed to not do so. Mileena always wanted to be accepted by Kitana, but always pressed this false idea that Mileena was just a monster. This… prophecy, that Mileena was simply a tool of Shao Kahn and deserved to die.

It was baffling- Kitana was so ready to tear down all reminders of Shao Khan. Her kingdom, Outworld, was flourishing. It was _better_ there. Kitana was a wonderful ruler, preaching this agenda of equality… and yet she still forced this ideology of Shao Khan onto her sister, refusing to even consider that Mileena was worth anything.

So here she was, in Earthrealm, feeling happier here than she ever did in Outworld. She didn't feel hunted here. She was distant from everything, but Earthrealm was a melting pot of variety, and she fit right in here.

**_RING, RING, RING_ **

Mileena was jolted out of her thoughts as she heard her phone ringing. The small rectangular electronic played a generic ringing tone on the dresser next to her bed. Milenna hummed as she placed the green gemstone daintily in her mouth, held between her teeth as she reached out to the phone. Having to be gentle to ensure she wouldn't break the device in her grip. Mileena had already filed down her unnatural claw-like nails, and even so, they still ran the risk of shattering the screen on her electronic device if she pressed too hard. She gently picked up the electronic and saw the calling number. Despite the number she still answered.

"Heh… you're getting faster at that."

Kabal.

An Outworlder who happened to do work as a mercenary. He wasn't as unbearable as Kano used to be, but he supplied Mileena with an important service. One that was integral for a multitude of reasons.

"I try my best with this blasted electronic Kabal… why do you call me?" Mileena asked, sitting up as she spoke past the jewel between her lips, gently tugging the necklace from her mouth before holding it to her chest, between her breasts.

"Why else would I call you Mileena? I have another fight for you. All the profits go to the winner, as usual. You gonna give us a show tonight or cop out?"

Mileena couldn’t help but smile at Kabal's smug approach.

"If you're asking if I will paint the walls with some unfortunate soul for the crowd's entertainment, then you would be mistaken. However… a show? I can do that. What's the time?"

Kabal scoffed at the other end of the line, a hissing noise playing through the speakers as Kabal vented his breathing gear. Mileena certainly didn't envy Kabal's deformities. She may have hated her own, but her’s weren't actively detrimental to her ability to live.

"Tonight. Whenever you decide to show up. The normal place. You don't need an escort do you Queen Mileena?" Those words couldn't have dripped with more sarcasm if Kabal tried, and Mileena certainly was not fond of it.

"I believe I can find my place just fine. Now if you will excuse me, I have the rest of my day to enjoy."

"Have fun Mi- _."_ Mileena canceled the call as she sighed, flopping back down onto her bed.

She was wondering what exactly she would buy with these new profits? Mileena liked spoiling herself. But only within reason now. So maybe she would buy a fancy dress, or some new curtains, or silk sheets. Small things to enjoy, rather than surrounding herself with rich items for the sake of it. She was on point with rent and the various bills. Which albeit confusing at first, she had quickly studied up on Earthrealm's living customs.

After a while Mileena decided that she didn't have much else to do. She hoisted herself out of bed, placing her prized Jade necklace around her throat and letting the gem itself rest in the valley between her breasts. She smiled at the gem, watching it emit a soft glow and warmth.

She felt safer now.

Mileena quickly walked over to her closet, sifting through her various clothes before she settled on her usual. A bra, and panties. Purple lace that honestly just felt comfortable. Loose jean pants. Sturdy, and loose enough for combat if need be. Then some combat boots that actually fit snugger than anything in Outworld. She yanked a black tank top over her head before sliding on a nice leather jacket with a cotton hood that slipped over her head with ease, though, she left the hood down.

Mileena remembered when she actually went to go see the clothing stores of Earthrealm. Such variety! Ideas that Mileena had never considered. Absolutely nothing like Outworld's olden style of dressing. Earthrealm's modern sensibilities gave Mileena endless hours of experimentation. She was honestly happy to try on their shoes most of all, and she now understood that woman… Sonya Blade, and her militaristic clothing choices. They honestly felt comfortable! Maybe not as comfy as the royal robes Mileena was accustomed to. But even so, those certainly weren't the most functional. And Mileena liked a bit of both.

Long gone were the days when Mileena wore practically nothing as she pranced down riyal halls, trying to seduce people at random for seemingly no reason other than a need to feel pretty and valued… experience had taught Mileena that such petty behavior was not rewarded… people always fled when they saw her face.

All except one anyway…

Nevermind that. Mileena had a fight to get to. It was at least a two hour bus ride from here, and Mileena wanted to pick up some new hand wrappings beforehand and maybe swing by to get some food from her favorite pizza place. That was another thing that Mileena had discovered- Earthrealm cuisine was truly fascinating! But, no matter, she quickly grabbed her last necessary article of clothing, her mask.

It was a fairly ordinary piece of cloth. Similar to her old mask, created from a sort of black leather/polymer combo. Sturdy, breathable, and made to fit to her face quite nicely, allowing her to speak unimpeded and tug the mask on and off with ease. Mileena couldn't… wouldn't walk around without it. She couldn't risk being revealed for who she was. Well that's what she told herself. In reality, Mileena was scared to show off her face. The doctors she talked to get her medical records handled assumed that she had a medical defect. And even then, Mileena squirmed under their scrutinizing gazes. There was one person she felt like she could remove her mask around, and she wasn't here right now.

Mileena sighed, yanking the mask over her head as she felt it slot onto her visage like it belonged there. She wasn't going to lie and say she didn't feel some tension drain from her shoulders when the mask was on.

She honestly felt comfortable as she stepped out of her bedroom, stepping down the blank hall of her apartment. She spent a few minutes, grabbing her backpack, wallet, wallet chain, phone, and ensuring she had the water she needed along with her appropriate credit cards and the like.

Responsibility- something that Mileena was coming to understand all the more as she lived longer in Earthrealm. She didn't simply die when she messed up. But there _were_ consequences, and so far she had managed to avoid them. She didn't mess with the police, she didn't get in anyone's way, she didn't lose things. No, Mileena was a model citizen… if it wasn't for her clandestine activities.

She took one quick glance around her apartment before patting herself down, making sure she had everything, she nodded in satisfaction before shrugging on her backpack, looking at herself one more time in a nearby mirror. She looked fine- black leather jacket, blue jeans, tank top, mask, boots- she looked normal, just like anyone else.

_"You are doing fine Sister."_

Mileena hummed happily as she gripped the green gemstone through her shirt, feeling it press against her skin as she opened her door, stepping out into the sidewalks.

Mileena was feeling pizza today, and maybe some chocolate milk.

)ooOoo(

Mileena shoved another piece of greasy pizza into her maw. She was currently hiding in the corner behind a pizza box as she observed her new surroundings- The Fight Ring.

It used to be a warehouse at some point. But then the Black Dragon moved in, paid off the cops, and turned it into yet another storage house for their operations. One of those being a Fighting Ring competition.

The building was one big room, lights and smoke filling it up along with the seemingly endless swarm of people. Stone beneath them all. To Mileena's far right was a bar that saw plenty of action. Waitresses strolled around to offer drinks and the like. Mileena however, was smarter than that and brought her own food and drinks. She didn't want to get drugged or something, which can and has happened to others here before. This WAS Black Dragon territory after all, and criminals swarmed here by the dozen.

But none of that was the main attraction.

**_WHAM_ **

No, that honor belonged to the fight happening in the middle of the room that had the crowd roaring like crazy. A symphony of vulgar enjoyment to bloodshed. Two people, assumedly random criminals, wailed on one another. Fists were flying as each spat out teeth and blood. The crowd cheered with each blow to a chorus of bets.

The first man, a darker fellow seemed to be getting his ass kicked by a larger opponent. Mileena watched the fight as she finished the last slice of her pizza, shoving the entire slice into her mouth before chewing quickly, making sure to hide her mouth with the open box in her hands. The men in the ring were basic. Mileena saw no acrobatics, no skill. Just brute strength, basic counters.

She wasn't one to chastise skill anyway, her’s weren't the best till recently. She had relied more on instinct and whatever moved she had jacked from Kitana. Talented, Mileena was not. Since then though she had been studying, practicing, learning a lot of moves that the military would use. The gym became a second home and she was a bit more confident in her skill.

Mileena wanted to learn a new style. She wanted to stop killing. Not that she minded killing or violence, she was here to scratch that particular itch after all. No, Mileena wanted to simply be better, and that meant curbing her more destructive urges. Losing herself to bloodlust was no longer on the table. So Mileena had to learn control, which meant less killing. Sadly, her old style was based entirely on murder and feasting upon her enemies. Which meant a change was needed.

One that she had done a pretty good job of acquiring.

**_WHAM_ **

"WINNER DECIDED!"

Much to the shock of the crowd, the darker skinned man had come out with a surprise win. He’d managed to get a last second counter and flip his opponent onto his back, choking him out afterwards. Basic skill yes, but it snagged the bruised man the win. Which Mileena could appreciate.

She watched the opponents shake hands after the larger one had woken from his impromptu rest, looking to be mostly okay despite their injuries. Mileena discarded her pizza box as she yanked her mask back up, reaching into one of her pockets as she started wrapping her hands. Impact against her knuckles would leave bruises, and Mileena liked to avoid popping her knuckles. She hated spending money on medical bills, or calling out from her gym sessions because she was too injured to work properly.

"Alright! How about that last match huh?!" Kabal was on the stage again, stepping out onto the ring with a microphone in hand and that familiar swagger. He had adjusted quite well to being leader of the Black Dragon's in Kano's absence. He used to be so nervous. Now though, as the roar of the crowd agreed with, he took to it naturally. Even if he was a bit more professional than Kano ever was.

"Yeah! That's what I like to hear! Now, I know you all are excited for the next match. So tonight, I managed to line up something special for ya'll… guess who rules here!" Kabal cheers as he raises one fist.

The crowd _roared_ their approval as the chants started.

"KAHN! KAHN! KAHN! KAHN! KAHN!"

Mileena felt her blood boil as she stepped through the crowd, walking right up to the cage entrance. A man stopped her, asking for any personal items that Mileena wished to give up. She handed over her backpack, filled with food and drinks, along with her wallet and phone. Once upon a time, such an action would have freaked her out, but Kabal ran a legit business here, and wouldn't have his reputation threatened by some petty thieves stealing her stuff. Mileena handed her jacket over too, leaving her in just her tank top, pants, and boots as she stepped into the ring.

"KAHN! KAHN! KAHN! KAHN! KAHN!"

Mileena smiled behind her mask as she clenched her fists, looking around as the cage rattled around her. People jumping up and down in rabid excitement. They were cheering FOR her, for the bloodshed sure to occur in a bit. Mileena wouldn't kill her opponent, but she could still maim them, if ever so lightly. They wouldn't hesitate to do the same to her.

"YEAH! Your Kahn has arrived!" Kabal says, stepping around Mileena as he seems to show her off to the crowd. She didn't mind the attention. Mileena wasn't confident in her looks. But her killing skill? She hadn't questioned that in years. And wouldn't… not again.

"Alright! Now, we have something special for you guys…. Is it just me? Or is it getting COLD IN HERE!?! Yeah!" Kabal cheers gesturing to the other side of the ring as the cheers took on a whole new volume. Mileena winced at the noise.

**"FROST! FROST! FROST! FROST! FROST! FROST!"**

Out from the other side of the cage was someone that Mileena had never met before, though she seemed familiar in the sort of power she exuded. Blue hair that was spiked up with _Ice_ of all things. Skin that looked pale with sheer cold and eyes bluer than the daytime sky. She had decent height and wore nothing but sports gear, shorts and a tank top. She was at least wearing sneakers. Not the best combat gear, but Mileena knew better than to underestimate someone based upon clothes. This was clearly a powerful fighter, and she was excited to get to the fight.

Kabal managed to get the crowd to calm down long enough as he got to the exit of the cage in the middle, stepping back as he gestured to Frost.

"A newcomer here! Kicking ass up and down the roster before she ended up here! Trying to throw down with The Kahn! What do you think your odds are Frost?"

Kabal offered the mic to Frost, the young woman simply scoffed as she looked Mileena up and down.

"I think I'll be out of here in five minutes tops. Bring it on Princess."

The crowd oohed and aahed in response to Frost's cheap jabs at Mileena's appearance. Kabal groaned as he backed away.

"Seems like we got some fire in our little icicle here! What do you have to say to that Kahn?" Kabal offers the mic to Mileena… who didn’t take her eyes off of Frost.

"By the end of this… I will break your skull." Mileena delivered her line with no snark. No superiority. No nothing. Just a cold promise that wiped the smirk right off of Frost's face. The crowd went wild at Mileena's threat as Kabal gave Mileena a curious look.

"Well! Looks like we have two pissed off females here! You two know the rules! And WHAT ARE THE RULES GUYS!" Kabal yelled at the crowd as he opened the cage, stepping out as the crowd roared.

**_"THERE ARE NO RULES!"_ **

"THAT'S FUCKING RIGHT!" Kabal concurred as he locked the cage. Mileena got into her stance as Frost did the same. Left foot forward, right fist near her face while the other was out, pointed down. Mileena felt ready as she narrowed her predatory eyes.

"ALL TOGETHER NOW! ONE!" Kabal started the countdown as the crowd screamed along with him.

"TWO!"

Mileena inched forward as she tensed like iron wire.

"THREE!"

Frost smirked as she exhaled a foggy mist, ready to move.

**"FIGHT!"**

"I declare Mortal Kombat." Mileena whispered to herself…

Then she moved.

Mileena landed the first blow, dashing right up to Frost. Frost's eyes widened as she realized that Mileena was faster than she expected. Though her shock only lasted long enough to receive a fist to the face, the crowd cheered loudly as Frost's head rocked back from the impact.

Mileena moved to press her advantage, stepping into Frost's leg space before gripping her shirt, dragging the colder girl forward to get a knee to the stomach.

"Aagh!" Frost screamed in pain before growling, grabbing Mileena's hands before yanking her forward, ramming her head into Mileena's face. Mileena felt her nose crack as a solid block of rock hard ice hit her in the face. She stumbled back, eyes watering in pain, but she was forced to backflip to avoid a fist to the face.

Mileena was forced to dodge a bit as Frost came at her with a fairly aggressive style. It seemed to be close to Lin Kuei forms, with a bit of free form boxing mixed in.

"What's the matter?! Scared Princess!?" Frost taunted as she swept Mileena's feet out from under her. Mileena quickly rolled backwards to avoid a heel kick that would have caved her ribs in. Instead she moved fast enough to only allow the ground to be cracked a bit as she stood back up.

The two fighters returned to their stances as the crowd went crazy around them, rattling the cage like crazy. This time Frost smirked as she moved first, sliding forward faster then Mileena expected as she realized an important detail. The ground was coated in _ice_. It seemed like Frost was using her namesake. She rammed into Mileena with a kick to her shin, knocking Mileena off balance, then punching her in the face. Mileena screamed as she reeled back in pain, stumbling a bit. Frost smiled down at her, cracking her knuckles.

"I warned you I was gonna fuck you up. Stand up!"

Mileena growled, standing up fully before she used her own skill. She was the Kahn here. Nobody could take that away without shoving Mileena up to Death's Door. And she knew what dying was like.

Again, Frost took the initiative, dashing right into a right cross. Mileena dodged with ease before she lets the blow move past her face, reaching up to lock Frost's arm in place. The girl tried to yank it back. Mileena kneed Frost roughly in the stomach, causing her to gag before Mileena raised her right arm and rammed her forearm into Frost's right elbow. She could feel the bone give beneath her assault.

"AAAH! You BITCH!" Frost screamed in agony as she felt her arm break. She followed by jamming her free fist into Mileena's belly, causing her to let go. She then slammed her foot into the same spot, sending Mileena sliding back a bit.

"You broke my ARM you cunt!" Frost yelled, trying to yank her arm back into a position that works. She seemed to succeed as she flexed her arm again, grimacing while she did so.

Mileena touched her tender stomach before shrugging. She shifted back into position, clenching her fists as she crouched a bit. She was winning. She just had to keep this up.

Frost charged forward again, going for a punch that Mileena sidestepped, only to gasp as she realized she had been feigned. She tripped over Frost's leg before receiving a punch that sent her right to the ground. Mileena groaned while trying to get back up only to feel biting cold cover her hand. Her hand had been frozen to the ground. She tried to yank it free but isn't fast enough to stop Frost from stomping on her head. She felt her nose crack a second time against the ground, spurting a nice spray of blood into her mask as she screamed. Frost tried to stomp on her again, but Mileena yanked her hand free, the ice shattered before Mileena vanished into pink mist.

"What!?"

Frost barely has time to look up before Mileena appeared again, foot crashing into Frost's face and sending her flying into the ground hard. Frost had little time to react before Mileena straddled her, ramming her fist downwards. Frost just barely managed to dodge, and Mileena felt the concrete shatter beneath her fist as she tried to throw a second punch. But Frost shoved her back, getting her feet between them both before launching Mileena away.

Both girls take a second to breathe, Mileena slightly tugging her mask down to snort up blood, snapping her nose into the position it needed to be in as she yells in pain. But… she was in a good mood. She was smiling behind her mask as she again took her stance, clenching her bloody fist as she looked at Frost get to her feet.

"Is that all you got?! I can do this all damn day!" Frost yelled as she prepared to charge again.

"So can I." Mileena countered, no other words needed to be said as she narrowed her eyes at Frost.

Frost charged once again, flipping into an axe kick that Mileena had no choice but to sidestep. Frost threw a left cross at Mileena as she followed with a flurry of blows. Mileena had to drop to the ground to avoid them all, but quickly spun; knocking Frost's feet out from under her before dropkicking Frost away. Frost rolled a few times, but Mileena pounced on her, fist primed for a strike. Frost touched the ground before throwing her hand up, a wall of ice summoning between them.

Mileena didn't even stop.

"RAAGH!" Mileena punched right through the ice wall, shattering it as cold mist filled her vision. She reached forward, taking hold of Frost's shirt before yanking her up to her feet and throwing her at the cage wall. Frost hits the wall with a solid boom, rattling the whole wall, much to the crowd's delight. Mileena followed, trying to keep control of the fight. She launched a few fists at Frost's face, all of which were blocked; though Frost still gasped in pain when she once again received a knee to the side for her troubles.

Frost howled in rage before exhaling a misty fog in Mileena's eyes, causing her to close them in pain before she received a sharp pain in her right knee. She screamed as she noticed that Frost had crouched down, jabbing Mileena's knee and messing up her balance. Mileena fell and bent over which allowed Frost to drive her knee into Mileena's jaw with ease. Mileena soared back, hitting the ground hard with a groan. She couldn’t rest. She rolled away from Frost’s follow up. She barely managed to avoid Frost’s flying punch which caused the ground to shake.

Mileena managed to brute force her balance, but she would be paying for it later. She quickly cartwheeled and landed two hits to Frost's face, bruising her face and getting some distance. Frost simply swung forward, the blow being deflected by Mileena as she yanked Frost aside by her shirt, punishing the ice warrior with another knee to the ribs. Frost screamed while launching her head back at Mileena with a vengeance. The impact of which only spurred the crowd further.

Minutes pass, the two locked in an aggressive flurry of blows before Mileena managed to dropkick Frost again, landing hard as Frost flew back, hitting the cage wall. Mileena rolled backwards into a crouch, breathing hard as Frost was in no better condition.

"C'mon… I can beat you. You're getting tired ain't ya?" Frost taunted, spitting out a glob of blood and wiping her face as she stood up; heaving for air.

"Not as tired as you Lin Kuei." Mileena replied evenly as she glared daggers at Frost.

"Don't CALL ME THAT!" Frost screeched as she blasted a beam of ice at Mileena. Mileena, teleported right above Frost a second time, landing on top of her and crashing to the floor. Frost rocked with the momentum and managed to launch Mileena away and over her head. She struck her fist into the ground and ice started to spread towards Mileena who reoriented herself to land on all fours… only to feel her hands and feet freeze to the ground. She growled as she tried to yank herself free, but didn't get to before Frost was on her, driving her leg into Mileena's side. Mileena wailed as she felt a few ribs crack from the force, but ultimately stayed strong.

"I'm NOT Lin Kuei! I don't even know how you know that! But I'm going to make you regret it!"

Mileena struggled to take a deep breath as she tried to regain her balance… then all of a sudden she felt fingers on the back of her neck and her eyes widened.

"Hey… what is this shit?"

Mileena panic started to kick in as her necklace was grasped in Frost's hands. Her breathing picked up and she started yanking harder and harder at the ice that encased her hands and legs. Frost wasn't prepared when Mileena broke herself free with an explosive roar, yanking her head right back into Frost's face, breaking Frost’s nose. While Frost screamed in pain Mileena reached back and jerked Frost's leg, making her fall over onto the ice covered ground. Frost tried to roll away, but Mileena didn’t care. She grabbed a shard of ice and threw it at Frost; who blocked it well enough with her arms. The ice shattered and slashed her skin.

"Oh yeah!? Looks like I found a button to press!" Frost yelled as Mileena stood up again. The crowd around them was going wild.

Mileena and Frost were both obviously tired, but Mileena wasn't going to give up because of a fractured leg and broken nose. She was worth more than that.

"Touch my necklace again and I can't guarantee your life Frost." Mileena warned, much to the crowd's entertainment.

"Blah, blah, blah! Stop yapping and stop me Princess!" Frost charged forward recklessly, freezing the ground as she slid forward, going straight for Mileena. Mileena prepared to stop the girl from reaching her, intercepting her charge with a kick to the stomach that Frost dodged with ease. Frost grabbed Mileena's leg, ramming her forearm into Mileena's knee. Mileena felt something crack as she screamed, hopping up and driving her other leg into Frost's face to send her flying back as Mileena hit the ground, popping her leg back into place.

"That was for my arm bitch!" Frost snarled, charging at Mileena and slamming her leg into her already fractured ribs. Mileena flew back into the cage wall and caught herself, growling as Frost charged her again. Mileena dodged, spinning around the girl before ramming her first right into her side, HARD. She felt some bones give as Frost gasped in pain, spinning around to deflect another one of Mileena's blows. They traded a few punches before Mileena kicked Frost in the stomach, giving them both some distance. Mileena went to charge back in… but Frost was smart.

She planted her feet against the cage wall before leaping OVER Mileena, landing behind her before shoving her forward into the cage all. Mileena wailed as the cage dug into her face. Then she felt Frost's arms wrap around her throat and tug her back, wrestling Mileena into submission. Mileena reached for Frost's arms and tried to ram her elbow back into Frost's side, but her grip was certain and steady.

"Yeah! That's right! Keep struggling while I fish this out!" Frost managed to reach down Mileena's shirt, tugging out her necklace. The green gem gently glowed in the dark warehouse as Mileena struggled to breathe.

"Hey! This looks expensive! How about I break it you punk?! WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK!" Frost yelled to the crowd, who cheered excitedly. But Mileena managed to regain some sense as she realized something…

Frost had her necklace.

**_"DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER!"_ **

Mileena rammed her head back hard, hitting Frost in the mouth and making the girl scream. Mileena was a blur as she reached back, grabbing Frost's left arm, bending her over and jamming her arm down. She yanked it right out of it's socket before ramming her knee into her belly, making it worse.

Mileena wasn't aware of anything around her except the fact that Frost had almost stolen her necklace, which now swayed and moved out in the open. She swept Frost's legs out from under her, gripping her head with her spare hand and followed her to the ground, ramming her face into the ground as her skull cracked a few places. Mileena felt euphoric as she heard Frost's skull crack. She stood up, then rammed her foot into Frost's side, sending the girl flying into the cage wall.

Frost was suddenly on the backpedal as she screamed in agony, blood covering her face as she breathed roughly. Mileena was on her in a second with a fist to the face, rocking Frost back. Mileena then started systematically beating Frost to death. Punch after punch after punch as the crowd went wild behind her. She wasn't even aware of it. She was too busy seeing red as she stained the ice beneath her with blood.

"RAAGH!" Mileena rammed her fist into Frost, the girl almost falling over from the impact. Mileena gripped her shirt and kept her up as she punched her in the face again, and again.

_"Sister…"_

Something made Mileena stop, her fist primed for another blow as she held Frost against the cage wall. The younger girl looked like she was just barely standing, her face bruised to hell; she couldn't even lift her arms to defend herself anymore. One was broken and the other simply not enough to protect her face.

"W-Well? F-Finish it…" Frost spat out, despondent. All of her fiery energy was gone as she simply looked at the ground, tired.

Mileena wanted to finish her. It would be so easy to stomp her head in, but Mileena didn't do that. When she looked at Frost, she could see that this girl, beneath all that crappy rotten anger, was a girl that was lost. She could see it in her eyes. Mileena didn't even have to think long about it. A Lin Kuei? Not at the temple? She must have been through something… and Mileena wasn't going to murder anyone today…

She was better than that.

"You will not use me to bestow your freedom _pissant_." Mileena hisseed, much to Frost's shock. Mileena then dropped Frost to the ground, quickly reaching up to flip her necklace back into her bloody shirt.

"I am more than a tool, Frost." Mileena said as she turned around. She took a deep breath, stepping out to the center of the ring as she looked at the crowd. She raised her fists, victorious.

"WE HAVE A WINNER!" Kabal roared, the crowd following as Mileena smiled behind her mask.

"KAHN! KAHN! KAHN! KAHN! KAHN!"

She had done it once again. She had overcome her bloodlust and won another fight, securing her rent… Mileena felt good about herself. She had completed yet another task, and this time she was even challenged for it. She reached up, placing her hand over the necklace beneath her shirt and felt reassured by the warmth she felt there.

She didn’t see, but Frost's eyes never left her… and all that was there was endless curiosity.

Kabal stepped back into the ring with his microphone, cheering on the roaring crowd as he walked right up to Mileena.

"THE KAHN IS VICTORIOUS!"

The crowd was losing its damn mind as Kabal grabbed Mileena's right hand, holding it high as Mileena soaked under all the attention. This. This is what she was GOOD at. It helped her… she wasn't fighting to kill anymore. She was fighting for a different sort of attention, and she was also fighting to ensure she could make her rent…

It was nice… it felt more important this way.

"Alright! Alright everyone! That was a good match! It looks like Frost wasn't cold enough to stop the Kahn!" Kabal managed to walk over to Frost, helping her stand just long enough to walk up next to Mileena.

"But you know the rules here guys! She lost! And will that stop her!?" Kabal asked the crowd.

"HELL NO! BLOOD IS FREE!" The crowd roared back as they shook the warehouse with their cheers.

It was true. Frost may have lost. But loss was understood here. You simply got your ass kicked; you’ll do better next time. You don't get paid, but that's the risk you run when working here… which is why Mileena always won.

"YEAH! Alright everyone. I know we just had some fun. Give our fighters some final applause before they leave to go get checked out. I know you guys heard some bones break in here! Let's give it up for Frost and Kahn!"

Mileena smiled warmly beneath her bloodied mask, satisfied with her win tonight as the crowd roared their approval. Kabal hyped them up as she stepped toward the exit of her cage. She opened it, only to be accosted by dozens of screaming fans. Thankfully, Kabal's security managed to keep them back as she was swiftly handed a case full of her things before being led through the crowd and out the building. Right to the exit. She wasn't in the mood to try to grab a drink, so she was happy with how quickly she was herded out to the nighttime pier.

She tried to take a deep breath of the nighttime air, the sea breeze being close enough to be smelt on the air. But her nose was filled with too much blood to handle that. So instead she kinda just coughed as she was helped forward by a guard.

"C'mon Miss Mileena. The medical building is right down this way. We'll fix you up. Kabal doesn't want his star to get too trashed."

Mileena nodded as she was led along the wooden docks of the city. She could see that they were walking away from the main warehouse and towards a secondary building that was close enough to be an offsite medical spot for the fighters. She appreciated that Kabal was taking a more professional approach to his operations. His guards actually had good records, and despite the questionable legality of his actions, he took care of his fighters and the rest of his employees. It was the only reason Mileena had decided to fight for him in the first place.

That… and the fact that she owed him bigtime. He was the one that had helped her get set up in Earthrealm. He helped her get a passport among a bunch of other paperwork stuff that was required of her.

"I've been here enough to know where the healers are. But… I appreciate the help. I may be limping a bit."

The guards chuckled as they helped Mileena walk, giving her something to lean against. Once upon a time, her pride would have kept her from even asking for help, but these guards had carried Mileena out of there in much worse condition. She had done this enough times that she just appreciated the help. Her leg was in terrible pain since Frost had messed up her knee.

Minutes passed as Mileena crossed the docks, eventually managing to reach the smaller building and reach the door. It was far from a complex building. Basically just a smaller version of a storage warehouse that had been repurposed for medical stuff. Lots of supplies moved in. The first thing she saw was Frost sitting on a bed as her face was being iced by a doctor.

"I question how that would work, you being a cryomancer and all." Mileena coughed as she entered the building while being led to another nearby bed.

"Hardy, har, har. Shut the fuck up and sit down." Frost snarked as the Doctor looked away from her and at Mileena.

"Ah, good. You are here, ready to be put back together again. You reckless fool. What did you break this time? You already messed up this poor girl's face."

Doctor Sloan. A nice enough man. He may have had a rampant drinking problem, but he was paid well for his services and knew how to keep his mouth shut. Even more than that, he treated everyone equally in his office. Which meant basically like crap.

"Piss off Doctor…. I broke three ribs, my leg, my nose, and maybe a few knuckles. I'm not sure on that last one." Mileena woefully admitted as she laid back on her bed, dropping her case next to her bed. She could get out her clothes and the like when she was feeling better. "And I wouldn't have messed up her face if she didn't keep touching my necklace. I warned you, you petulant child."

"And I warned you to stop calling me Lin Kuei… bitch." Frost bit back, with only half the snark.

"Stow it, both of you. Kahn, off with the mask."

Mileena sighed as she did as the Doctor ordered; the older man rolled his chair right up to her as she peeled the blood soaked fabric from her face. The mask was yanked over her head to reveal her heavily swollen nose with blood all over her lower face.

"Hmm… no teeth damage. That's good. And you already set the nose all by yourself. Want some ice for it?"

"Yes please." Mileena said, sighing as she tried to breathe through her nose and finding it difficult.

"Don't try to breathe through your nose idiot. It's swollen with blood." Sloan berated as he rolld towards his desk, grabbing an ice pack out of a cooler and tossing it at Mileena who caught it with ease.

Mileena then looked over at Frost, seeing that her eyes were wide as she stared openly. Mileena tensed her jaw, realizing that her mouth was on full display. An angry blush decorated her cheeks.

"It isn't polite to stare _Lin Kuei._ " Mileena grinded out angrily.

"You're fuckin Tarkatan? No wonder punching you in the face hurt like a bitch." Frost pointed out obnoxiously.

"This… is just a defect. Drop it." Mileena stressed. This girl didn't seem to recognize who Mileena was right off the bat, which was a good thing. She still didn't appreciate the staring.

"Frost, c'mon. Don't be a bitch. If you don't wanna be called Lin Kuei, which you ARE, then leave Kahn alone about her mouth." Sloan lectured, bored as he rolled back over to Mileena with a bunch of gauze and ice packs.

"Alright Kahn. Take a deep breath. I need to see if you need any surgery for these broken bones. If not, then I'll wrap them the best I can. Put your leg in a brace, and swear you off of fights for the next month."

"Sounds good Doc." Mileena said, letting Sloan poke and prod at her to see if her ribs or leg needed serious surgery to correct.

"Good job holding yourself back out there by the way. From what I hear, you almost killed Frost here." Sloan said as he gently held Mileena's knee, shifting it around and moving Mileena's leg to see where she felt pain. Which seemed to be everywhere.

"I almost did…"

"Almost? My face feels caved in." Frost griped as she leaned back in her bed.

"Shut your mouth. Kahn here could have done much worse. Some of the people I've had to operate on after she's done with them. All you needed was a relocated arm and a few braces along with a sling. The last guy she fought needed reconstructive bone therapy."

Frost winced at that info as she looked at Mileena, giving an apologetic glance.

"Yeah… why didn't you finish me off? You had me dead to rights." Frost asked.

"Because I'm trying to be better." Mileena didn’t elaborate on that at all; she just let Sloan place a brace over her leg.

"No running for a bit. This leg needs some gentle care for a bit. Yes, I'm giving you a crutch. You don't get to complain."

"I hate you."

"I get that a lot. Now sit up so I can wrap your ribs. And take off the shirt."

Mileena did as she was asked, sitting up and yanking her shirt over her head as Sloan started wrapping her ribs in tight compression bandages. It sucked, and she tightly gasped in pain constantly as she tugged at his shirt.

"Get me some wipes to clean my face up and a spare mask."

Sloan looked over at Frost.

"Frost, you have working legs. That desk over there? Second drawer to the top. Grab a white cloth mask and the pack of baby wipes."

Frost groaned as she rolled out of bed; stumbling over to the far desk to do exactly what she was asked too.

"THERE'S MY FAVORITE WINNERS!" Kabal stormed into the medical center with all the tact of a raging bull.

"Kabal, this is a damned hospital. Turn it down a few octaves you dick." Sloan commanded as he continued wrapping Mileena's chest. Mileena herself was unable to stop laughing at Kabal's idiocy as she held her necklace.

"You know you love me. Now… here's your winnings Mileena."

Mileena glared at him as he placed a briefcase next to her personal items.

"We have company present you fool." Mileena stressed as she glanced over at Frost, who walked right over and handed Mileena the wipes and mask she wanted.

"Hey, I ain't no blabber mouth. Say what you want. Mileena is your name?" Frost asked as she plopped back down on her bed.

"…" Mileena didn’t answer, but Kabal certainly did.

"Yeah, it is. Also, here's your participation award." Kabal handed Frost a small stack of cash which she snatched away eagerly before counting it.

"Participation award?" Frost questioned. Typically losers didn't get paid at all. Mileena knew that well enough.

"Girl, I haven't seen you around here since back when Kano was running things. Clearly, you are in some trouble."

Frost scowled as she dropped the money into her lap.

"I'll be fine. I don't like charity."

"It ain't charity. I'm making sure one of my better fighters can keep showing up without starving. Think of it as an investment." Kabal clarified as he looked between both Mileena and Frost.

"Alright. I'll let Sloan finish his work. You two put on a nice show out there. Come back when you can."

"Whatever else would I do dearest Kabal?" Mileena said, voice full of snark before Sloan yanked on the bandages causing Mileena to gasp in pain.

"Not die for one. See you around Mileena." With that, Kabal turned and walked right back out the door. Presumably to get back to managing his club.

"There. Lay back. You can leave in an hour. Let your bones settle and you can go home." Sloan instructed while tying off the bandages.

Mileena did as the doc dictated, handing him back his ice pack, her swelling had gone down noticeably. He decided to take that time to bandage her nose real quick, which Mileena was grateful for. She wiped her face clean with the wipes that Frost had given her. When her face was clear of blood, she decided to yank the white cloth mask over her face, covering her mouth from view. She felt better once she was out of view.

"Don't like showing the face?" 

Mileena turned to see Frost staring at her, curious. "Of course not. I prefer not to scare everyone I see, or be laughed at for my deformities." Mileena snapped as she laid back, placing her bra back on properly. It had been dislodged as Sloan finished his work.

"Alright. That's the best I can do for you Kahn… need some painkillers?"

Mileena shook her head.

"Maybe to sleep. But I don't wanna walk around with a deluded mind."

Sloan nodded in understanding as he rolled away. He grabbed a small bottle off his desk before tossing it at Mileena who once again caught it with ease. Mileena chuckled as she looked at the bottle, feeling in a good mood.

It was hitting her. She had won, her money was next to her. She had done a good job today! She felt proud, happy even. She was celebrating with some donuts on her way home. Maybe taking a bit to relax in the park to watch the sunrise.

"What time is it anyway Sloan?" Mileena asked.

"4 AM. Why, got plans?"

Mileena shook her head.

"I wanted to see if I could watch the sunrise from the park. You know the one, next to my apartment building?"

"Oh yeah. The one with the hill? What is it with you and sunrises?"

Mileena shrugged.

"I like gold."

Mileena laid there for a bit as Sloan checked over Frost; wrapping her up the same way he did Mileena. He placed one of her arms in a sling.

"No fighting for a bit. Too much impact will throw that arm right out." Sloan promises as he rolls away, apparently done with his job.

"You two rest. Leave whenever you feel ready… nice show tonight yeah?"

Mileena accepted the praise with ease as she smiled behind her mask.

"Go on Doctor. You have reports to file." Mileena said, tired.

"Yea, no thanks to you." Sloan smiled as he rolled into his side office. He kept the door open as he started on his other work for the day.

Mileena was honestly happy with the Doctor. He didn't ask questions, and he typically helped Mileena out on more than one occasion. Mileena was confident she could consider her a friend. Mileena sat up, grabbing her case of personal items as she rummaged through it. Her jeans were… fine, if a bit torn. She saw no need to take those off. She didn't mind the blood. She kept her shirt off though.

Mileena stood up and laid her stuff out, her necklace dangling in the air as she yanked out her jacket, shrugging it on with ease. Wallet, phone, backpack. She grabbed it all and tried to make herself look partially presentable as she prepared to walk out the door.

"Leaving already?"

Mileena looked up at Frost, who had set aside her ice pack and was giving Mileena a small smile.

"Yeah… I need to get home."

"Mmm.…sorry about the… ya know… necklace thing. I was just hyping up the crowd, ya know?"

"And looking to be punished?"

Frost snapped her mouth shut and looked away at Mileena's apparently accurate guess.

"I won't pretend to understand what went wrong with you. But I will say this, don't do what you are doing now. Don't sink down… be better. You may not be Lin Kuei anymore in an official capacity… but you can still be one."

"They won't.…accept me back." Frost grinded out, looking upset. No more anger, just hopelessness.

"Maybe not… but that doesn't mean you need to prove them right."

"And what would you know about disappointing others? Being worthless!?" Frost spat, glaring hard at Mileena.

"More than you I'd imagine." Mileena replied, gripping her masks. "I've eaten people, remember?"

Frost had nothing to say to that. Instead, Mileena turned, hefting her backpack onto her shoulders and grabbing her suitcase of money.

"You know that park up by 7th? The big one with all the hills?" Mileena asked, turning back to give Frost a friendly look.

"Yeah? In the Financial district?"

"Yeah.…come see me there in a few hours… I like watching the sunrise. Maybe you can find a friend there."

"...What's in it for you?"

Mileena shrugged.

"I get to be better."

Mileena didn’t say anything else as she walked out the door; leaving behind a banished Lin Kuei with a lot to think about.

It was chilly tonight…

Mileena felt like chocolate…

)ooOoo(

Mileena loved the color gold. She also liked green now that she thought about it. Both colors meant a lot to her. In a lot of ways.

Mileena sat on a bench, sitting on the left side as she cradled her necklace in her hand, waiting for the impending sunrise. The sky was a dull gray, the sun beginning to peek over the horizon but not quite there yet. Not yet blessing the ground with that bright golden glow. Instead, Mileena focused on the necklace in her grasp.

It emitted a green glow that illuminated Mileena's chest as she hummed to it… it always glowed brighter when Mileena talked to it… to _her_. She ached all over, and was tired. But hey, nights like these only happened once or twice a month, so she wasn't exactly guilty about the sleeping in she would be doing.

"So… is that place taken?"

Mileena turned to the right, seeing a familiar face. Frost, wore a plain white T-shirt along with jeans. A bag over her shoulder as she marched up the hill, having difficulties since one arm was in a brace and the other was in a sling.

"No… not at all." Mileena answered, scooting over slightly to allow Frost to collapse down into the bench. She sighed in relief as she dropped her bag to the ground.

"I blame you for this." Frost said, gesturing to her now strained arms.

Mileena huffed dismissively in response.

"Next time, heed my warnings. Don't touch my necklace."

"What even is the deal with that necklace? It's… glowing. Does it normally do that?"

Mileena shook her head, keeping her eyes on the horizon.

"It is… sentimental. It has always glowed like this." Mileena said, only telling half the truth.

"Huh… So… gonna tell me the real reason you didn't kill me back there?" Frost asked, voice hard as she called for Mileena's attention.

"Because… I see myself in you, Frost. And, I made a promise. As I said, I am being better. That means no more tearing people to pieces for my entertainment."

The two women were quiet for a moment as Frost digested that information. Mileena payed her no mind. Frost didn't have the luxury of being trapped in Netherrealm to spend time on her thoughts. If that could be called a luxury. So Mileena felt no need to pressure the younger lady.

"What… what did you mean back there? About me still being Lin Kuei?" Frost pondered tentatively.

"Exactly what I meant. You may not train at the temple. But you still have your forms? You can still practice can you not?"

"I… sure? I never considered it." Frost said, perplexed.

"Tell me Frost… why did the Lin Kuei banish you? Sub-Zero is usually a benevolent leader. I doubt banishing you was his first option."

Frost remained silent for… a long time. She stared out at the horizon before sighing, leaning forward to rest her face against her free hand.

"It's stupid."

"Try me. I've heard plenty of stupid stories on my life."

"Umm.…you strike me as smart about the ninja clans. You know how the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei?"

Mileena nodded in understanding.

"Yeah… they recently patched that up. And… I got in the way." Frost said, sounding ashamed.

"You… got in the way of peace talks?"

"I tried to kill Hanzo."

"I imagine that failed…. Spectacularly?"

"Yeah.…Sub Zero froze me."

Mileena couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the irony of a Lin Kuei being frozen. Unfortunately her humor was not appreciated by Frost, who glared at her.

"Apologies… carry on. What convinced you this was a good idea."

Frost shifted to lean back against her chair as she sighed; struggling to find the right words.

"I never had anything of my own ya know? Living on the streets was… well, it's home. Then I was given a home with the Lin Kuei and… I had something. Even better, I had a cause to fight for. I wanted to be a good student you know? So I studied. I learned what happened with the Shirai Ryu. And yeah, Quan Chi pulled some fake out shit, sure. But at the end of the day, Scorpion still committed genocide on like, ALL of the clan. I thought… I got mad. I got mad because it was indefensible you know?"

Frost groaned as she covered her face with her free hand.

"Then He shows up for peace talks and these two masters are having tea like… like it never happened! I couldn't believe it! And… I got mad and tried to stop it. Looking back I don't even know why I got mad. I just saw Scorpion…. Hanzo… and I remembered what he did. All the people he killed. And I just lost it."

"You were angry… because you thought you were _supposed_ to be angry." Mileena clarified.

"Yeah! Exactly! And, that fight was a big reason I was there. It was something to work towards. And then… I know it's wrong. But I felt like it was snatched away from me. And i was mad at that too. And I didn't let it go until I was booted out of the clan and I realized I had just burned everything I was working for to the ground."

The woman remained silent as the sun gently peeked over the horizon. The golden glow finally became visible, shining on them first as a blanket of light washed over the entire park, illuminating everything gently. Light beamed off of the flowers and made everything positively shine. Mileena hummed as she felt the warmth on her face.

"I think… that you are already a better person." Mileena stated.

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Because you feel guilt for what you did. I assume you would take it back if you could?"

"Of course I would."

"Well, there you go. The only question I see here is what you will do now? Will you try to reconcile with the Lin Kuei?"

"I.…can I do that? I… he won't accept me back. He can't." Frost dismissed, brushing off the very idea.

"Frost, there is always a choice. A choice to be better. You have already admitted your guilt to yourself. Surely it wouldn't be hard to admit it to him? To apologize? Gain your spot back in the temple?"

"I.… what if I get turned down?"

"Then you tried… and surely that means something?" Mileena offered hopefully, tilting her head at Frost.

"Yeah… I guess you're right. Why the hell are you so smart?"

Mileena smiled behind her mask as she leaned back in her chair, the necklace around her neck pulsed happily.

"I had a good reason to try."

The two women enjoyed the sunrise in silence. Frost thought about her future while Mileena simply enjoyed the warm sunrays on her face.

"Alright… I think I should get going." Mileena heard Frost get up off the bench, picking her bag back up.

"Frost?" Mileena asked, opening her eyes to look at the young woman next to her.

"Yeah?"

Mileena took a second to actually _look_ at Frost. Her ratty clothes, her bruised face, injured arm in a sling. Nowhere to go, and just wandering around. Her mood had improved after their conversation, but Mileena could see that familiar look in her eyes. Frost was lost…

Mileena wanted to be better. And yes, she was on the right track. It was one thing to not treat others horribly, it was another to actually show kindness. Maybe Mileena could start here?

"How would you feel about having a roommate?"

Frost didn’t seem to understand what Mileena said at first, just staring at her. The sun made her icy hair shine in the light. Then her eyes widened as she finally processed Mileena's words.

"I.…what?"

Frost then smiled, laughing in utter disbelief.

"You can't be serious! You just beat the shit out of me two hours ago!"

Mileena shook her head.

"Not the weirdest thing I have ever done. Are you interested?"

Frost seemed to think about it. She looked carefully at Mileena before turning to look at the rest of the park. She was clearly wrestling with it and Mileena let her. She has to make that choice. There was ALWAYS a choice and Frost was being faced with one of many…

Frost turned to look at Mileena with a smile and Mileena couldn't have been more excited.

"I snore pretty loud." Frost joked.

"I have some ground rules. Think you can follow them?" Mileena fired back.

"I used to live at the Lin Kuei temple. Bring it Princess."

Mileena laughed openly as Frost sat back down on the bench, laughing along with her new friend.

"I guess I should give you my name. My real name, I mean." Frost said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously before she offered her hand to shake.

"Delphi Bell. Thanks for… a house I guess."

Mileena took Frost's.…Delphi's hand with glee.

"Mileena Eden."

Eden.…no more Kahnum. Eden… in honor of many people. But it fit better, she figured.

"Nice name.…Mileena."

Mileena nodded in acceptance as she laid back onto her bench, smiling at the sun as she fiddled with the necklace.

"So… sunrises huh?" Frost asked. "I can get behind it. Any reason why you like them so much?"

Mileena took a minute to consider the question.

Memories flashed through her head. Dark hair… laughter. Dancing and acceptance. Feeling free to take her mask off. Waking up to golden eyes. Always on guard to see those familiar golden robes that shined brighter than the sun, always connected to a face that Mileena loved seeing more than anything.

Liquid warmth that Mileena woke up to every day…

The first thing to greet her.

"I just like gold."

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact. Frost has no name. And no Edenian has a last name. So I gave the royal family the name Eden, in honor if Edenian. Jade took that nane because she loves Kitana. And Mileena took it in honor of Jade.
> 
> Frost's name is just shortened names of blue flowers that bloom at night.


End file.
